As Prince William walked into the operating theatre at the Royal Marsden
Hospital dressed in scrubs he was greeted by the lead surgeon with the
words: “It’s slightly surreal meeting you in this situation”.

The Prince had come to watch James William, a consultant plastic surgeon,
reconstructing the breast of an unnamed woman in her 60s, who was oblivious
to her royal visitor although she had consented to his presence. “That’s
amazing,” the Prince said, as he watched through a micro-vascular microscope.

He has been president of the hospital’s trust since 2007, a position held by
his mother from 1989.